NYPD officer dies after being 'assassinated' during July 4 celebrations

NEW YORK (AP) - A New York police officer was killed execution-style as she sat in her police car early Wednesday morning in the Bronx.

Police Commissioner James O'Neill identified the slain officer as Miosotis Familia, 48, a 12-year veteran of the department.

After the shooting, her partner, who was in the vehicle, radioed for assistance and other officers found the suspect about a block away. The suspect drew a revolver and the officers fatally shot him, O'Neill said at a press conference at St. Barnabas Hospital, where Familia was taken after the incident.

The suspect was identified as Alexander Bonds, a police spokesperson told USA TODAY. According to the New York Daily News, Bonds had up to six aliases and a long rap sheet, including prison time.

Alexander Bonds, the suspect in the killing of Miosotis Familia, a New York City police officer. Bonds was shot dead by officers who found him a block away. (Photo: New York State Department of Corrections)

In a tweet, O'Neill said that Familia had been "assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops assigned to keep NYers safe. Keep her family in your prayers."

#NYPD PO Miosotis Familia has been assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops assigned to keep NYers safe. Keep her family in your prayers pic.twitter.com/yhRB7H5bvi

“This murder in cold blood is a tragedy, and sadly it is the latest in a troubling series of attacks on police officers over the past two years,’’ Sessions said. “These attacks must stop and we must honor the service of every law enforcement officer and the memory of those we have lost in the line of duty.”

During the encounter with the suspect, another person, believed to be a bystander, was struck by a bullet.The person is in stable condition.

The shooting was similar to the assassination of officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos as they sat in their marked police car on a street in Brooklyn in December 2014.

The killing took place as New Yorkers marked July 4, including a huge display of fireworks on the East River.

USA Today

“The city was celebrating our Independence Day,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio at the press conference. “One of those days we look forward to each year. The NYPD did an extraordinary job keeping our city safe ... and tragedy struck.”